a ‘. _ 
_§ 
A Trne and Exact Hijtory 
500 leagues from aay land, atSun fetting 5 and fo it is not poffible | 
they fhould recover Land that night 5 and on the waves they cannot 
veft, without greathazzard. I havefeen them fometimes light, and 
fit upon the waves, but with fuch Gaution , for fear of being taken 
in by.a fith, asher reft is very unfafe ; unlefs when fhe is covered 
by the nights dark wings. This Bird, isa kindof fea Hawk , fome- 
what bigger than a, Lanner, and of that colour; but of afar freer 
wing, and of a longer continuance , and when fhe is weary, fhe finds 
| relting places, if the Seas be Calm; for then the Turtles lye and 
fleep upon the waves, fora longtime together; and upon their backs 
they fit, and fleep fecurely ; and there, mute, prune, and oy their fea- 
thers; roufe, and do all theirOffices of nature, and have room e- 
nough forall, for fome of thofe Turtles are a yard broad in the back : 
we took one with our Long Boat, 4s he lay fleeping on the water , 
whofe body afforded all the Gentleman, and Officers of the Ship, a 
very plentiful meal 5 and was the beft meat we tafted, all the time 
we were atSea. There are of thefe kinds of Fifhes but two forts , 
that continue inthe Main; the Loggerhead Turtle, and the Hawks 
was that we took. Thereis a third kind, called the Green Turtle, 
which are of a lefler Magnitude, but far excelling the other two, 
in wholefomnefs, and Rarenefs of tafte; but of them hereafter, for 
mount foretimes upon the trayne, to fo lofty a pitch : as,ifa Faul- 
con werethere , She might be allowed a double Cancellere in her 
| Looping to her gare : they do it at-one entire down-come. Her 
| ordinaty, flying forhet own pleafure, andnot for prey, is commonly 
more free than the beft Haggard Faulcon, that I have ever feen 3 
but, che continuance of it makes it the more admirable. At the 
3, and wherethey pereeivethe water to move, they know they 
are in Chafé of the flying fifth; and ‘Hearthem;they rife like Co- 
veysof Partridges by 13.and.16 in aCovey, and flye as far as young 
Pastsidges, that ate forkers, and in their flight thefe birds make them 
a quarry. v 
_ Thefe frighted fifhes, fometimes inthe night héve crofsd_ our fhip, 
and being ftopt by. the fhrowds, have faln down 5 and with their 
bodies.we have baited hooks, and taken their purfuers the Dolphins 5 
whieh we have found very. excellent meat , being drefs'd by a good 
hand, with Wine, Spice,and fweet hetbs, which we never wanted. So 
| out at Cheik, or toa Village to Poult, and yet eat ofthe quarry, 
fometimes of the Spaniels, which isan advantage the beft Faulconers 
mifsat Land,. As for the hunting here, we only fee the Chafe , but 
royal fith, fuchaone as may, fill. a dith to furnith Neptunes table, and by 
the fea may not be counted their natural home ; for we fee them 
bill Turtle, of which forts, the latter is the beft, and of that kind ours | - 
I haveno.mind to "part fo lightly, with the forenamed Birds of} 
| prey. x For having been bred a Faulconer in my youth,I cannot but ad=} 
-|mite the admirable fwiftnefs of wing thefe birds make. They 
times ri hungry, they attend the Dolphins, who are their Spa- | 
3 . 
herewehave excellent hawking,no fear of lofing our hawk, by going 
oe 
{uffet the hounds to flefi themfelyes upon the quarry, oritmay be, a| 
we 
fi 
s. 
z 
Re 
Bs 
+ 
th 
that means We are cozen’d of our quarry So that as Lever thought } 
agand I find thefame at Sea, Hawking to bethe better {port. I} 
ie % 
—— age 
i" ‘ oe 
a ee . SPS 
almoft forgot, ta tell what kind of fifh this flying fifhis, which is| 
SS. a 
iseaeae sages! Se 5: 
Sane er ter. tie ety 
